Micro Chip
by WingedPenguin
Summary: It has been 10 years since Thomas escaped from the Flare-ridden world. But when Minho finds a micro chip from an unknown person, things are about to change. There are many things the original Gladers haven't told him. Things that can be life-risking.
1. Chapter 1

Thomas walked back to his house in the suburbs of Paradise. Today was the day. It had been 10 long years since they escaped the Flare-ridden world. They had come a long way since then. They had set up a council of leaders and established law and order in Paradise. Everyone had a part to do. It was almost like the Glade. Minho was the main leader of Paradise. Thomas was in charge of maintaining law and order in Paradise. He was engaged to Brenda. So many things had changed yet so many things had remained the same. Thomas still had nightmares about the Maze and the Scorch. In his mind's eye, he saw Chuck gasping for air as life seeped out of him, Newt begging Thomas to kill him and Teresa getting crushed by the ceiling as it fell on top of her. He closed his eyes, willing the bad memories to go away. They were safe now and there was absolutely no point in thinking about such things. He had to move on.

He reached his wooden cabin and opened the door. Almost everything in Paradise was made of wood since they had no other materials. He stepped inside his cabin then froze. He could hear someone shuffling in the kitchen.

'Who's there?' he called out.

'Calm down, shank. It's only me' a familiar voice replied.

Thomas relaxed then walked towards the kitchen. Minho was seated at the kitchen table, eating a sandwich.

'Minho, what the hell are you doing here?' Thomas asked.

'I wanted to give you something but then I got hungry,' Minho replied, shrugging.

'What is it?'

Minho finished his sandwich and pulled out a brown envelope from his pocket.

'I found this outside my cabin 2 week ago. It's a video recording of someone. Thomas, Teresa wasn't the first girl in the Glade. There was someone else before her. She was the first person to arrive by the box. It's kind of a long story. Watch it.' he said quietly, shoving the envelope into Thomas's hand.

With that, he walked out of the cabin, leaving Thomas shell-shocked.


	2. Chapter 2

Thomas jolted back to reality and scrambled towards his room. He switched on the computer and put the microchip into the little slot at the side of the computer, his mind buzzing with thoughts. The screen flickered for a moment before the video started. The title was _Day 30 (In the maze)_

**Day 30 (In the Maze)**

**A 14 year old girl was standing in the Box. She had tan skin and long wavy hair. She was wearing a navy blue T-shirt with jeans. But it was her eyes that stood out. They were a light grey. But at that moment, her eyes were wide and full of panic as she punched the walls of the Box, screaming for help. Her hands were bleeding from the punching.**

Thomas watched as the girl struggled to stay calm, reliving his own horrifying memory of arriving by the Box. He clicked the fast forward button and waited till the Box in the video had reached the Glade. Then, he clicked the play button again. He had no intention of watching someone else's horrifying experience.

**The girl watched as the Box came to a screeching halt. Then, suddenly, the doors of the Box were thrown open and the Box was flooded with light. She shielded her eyes from the sun rays and watched carefully as a boy about her age jumped into the box. He was tall and had blond hair.**

'Young Newt,' Thomas thought, weakly.

**The girl didn't know who Newt was but her brain immediately registered him as an enemy. He held out his hand for her to hold as he helped her out of the Box. Instead of holding his hand, the girl moved forward and punched Newt's face. **

'**Whoa!' Newt shouted, stumbling backwards.**

'**Newt, what's wrong?' another unfamiliar male voice asked.**

**Slowly, 10 or so boys peeked inside the Box, trying to catch a glimpse of whoever was inside. The girl's face was filled with panic at seeing so many unfamiliar people.**

'**Grab her and pull her out,' an Asian boy with short black hair said. **

**Almost at once, all the 10 boys grabbed her and pulled her out of the Box. She screamed and struggled but it was of no use. All the boys were too strong. They dropped her in a heap outside the Box. She stood up shakily and took in her surroundings. She was in some kind of confined area with tall walls on all 4 sides. There was a small wooden building on the right with fields in front of it. There were woods in one corner of this strange place. But what was weirdest was that there were big openings in the walls that led to empty corridors outside. **

'**Who are you? What is this place?' she asked the boys.**

'**Why should we tell you?' the Asian kid said, smirking.**

'**Because if you don't then you know what I'll do,' she said, clenching her fists.**

'**Slim it, girlie. We'll tell you whatever we know and then you'll tell us whatever you know. Deal?' the Asian boy replied.**

'**Deal.'**

'**Okay, my name is Minho. This place is called the Glade. We live inside a shucking Maze that we have to solve in order to get home. We've been here for a month and we are currently trying to find a way out. Oh yeah, bloodthirsty monsters called Grievers live in the Maze, ' Minho said bluntly.**

Thomas watched as the girl's face changed from confusion to suspicion and then finally, to panic.

'Maybe this why they didn't tell me everything right after I arrived,' he thought.

'**What?' the girl asked, faltering.**

'**You heard me right. Now keep your end of the deal and tell us what you know.'**

**The girl swallowed hard before starting. **

'**My name is Shania and I woke up in that freaky box thing. I was in it for about 30 minutes before ending up here. Also, I don't remember anything from my past.'**

'**Really? That's all you know?' **

'**Yup.'**

'**Great. Now you can get started with your new life. Old life ends today. I'll give you a tour of this place later,' a dark-skinned boy said.**

Thomas turned the computer off. It was almost 11 pm and he had work the next day. But even as he lay in bed, he couldn't stop his thoughts about Shania. He was already comparing her to Teresa and realised how different she was from Teresa.

Teresa had pale skin while Shania had tan skin. Teresa had blue eyes while Shania had grey ones. Teresa was the last person to arrive by the box while Shania was the first. Teresa had arrived in the Glade in a comatose state while Shania had arrived in a conscious state.

If Thomas followed that line of thinking then that meant that if Teresa had trigged the Ending, Shania had caused the Beginning.

**A/N: Hey guys! Thanks for reading my fanfic. This is my first fanfiction and I'd appreciate it if you guys could give me some advice to improve my story. :D**


	3. Chapter 3

'Hello? Anybody there?' Brenda asked jokingly as she snapped her fingers in front of Thomas's face.

'Sorry, I was thinking.'

Thomas and Brenda were at Brenda's house for dinner.

'I can understand. The video recording must be kind of hard to watch,' she said quietly.

Thomas dropped his spoon and it fell on the plate with a loud 'clang'.

'Brenda, you too? How in the shucking world do you know that chick?' he asked angrily.

'Thomas, calm down. The microchip didn't appear out of nowhere. Shania told me to give it to one of the original Gladers so I gave it to Minho...' she replied awkwardly.

'You didn't answer my question.'

'Fine, Shania was my best friend in WICKED. I was the one observing her after she entered the Maze Trials.'

'Why didn't Minho tell me about her? He had 10 years.'

'Because bad things have happened,' Brenda said, simply.

Thomas was going to press her for more answers but then he realised that Brenda wasn't going to tell him anything else. They ate the rest of their dinner in silence. When Thomas got home, he turned on his computer, eager to find out more about the girl who was a secret. He was still on _Day 30 _but it seemed to be early evening in the video.

**Day 30- Continued (In the Maze)**

**The dark-skinned boy, Alby, was showing Shania around. She still looked pale and a bit shocked but seemed to take in whatever Alby said, nodding occasionally. **

'**That's it, shank. That's the end of the Tour,' Alby said.**

**Shania nodded but her eyes were trained on the group of boys that were entering the Glade from the East Door. The boy she had punched, Newt, was with them. She walked towards him quickly.**

'**Hey, are you okay?' she asked him, ignoring the other boys who were sniggering.**

'**Yeah, I'm fine. It's just a bruise, it'll heal quickly. That's a lot of strength in one punch, Newbie,' Newt said, grinning.**

'**You should mix vinegar with warm water and apply it to your wound. It'll help it heal faster,' she replied.**

**Newt looked at her as if she was speaking an alien language. **

'**How do you even know that?' he asked.**

'**I don't know. I just remember a bunch of cures for bruises, fever, sprains and things like that,' she said, shrugging.**

**Then, suddenly, she turned to her side and knelt down, looking directly into the camera.**

'**What is this thing?' she asked Newt, incredulously.**

'**We call them beetle blades. We're not sure about what they do though. We just have a feeling that that's how the Creators watch us.'**

'**Creators?'**

'**The people who put us in here.'**

Thomas felt like he'd been slapped in the face.

'Maybe that's why they scurry away when you try to touch them. Maybe you're not the one they are recording,' he thought.

'**Who'd do that though? Why put kids in a Maze? I don't understand...' Shania muttered.**

'**Join the club.'**

'**Aren't you curious to know?'**

'**Curiosity hasn't done us any good in this place. Now, about your freaky medical talent, do you think you can handle being the Glade doctor?' **

'**Can we go to the Infirmary? I need to bandage my hands.' Shania said, ignoring Newt's question.**

'**We'll go there after dinner.'**

The video recording suddenly stopped and started fast forwarding on its own. Thomas caught glimpses of Newt introducing Shania to the other Gladers and everyone eating dinner together at one table. Finally, the fast forwarding stopped. Newt and Shania were standing near the door of the Infirmary.

'**Okay, don't come running to me when you see poor Joe inside. I didn't want a Newbie like you to see him but you insisted... Anyway, you seem like a tough chick,' Newt said.**

'**I think I can handle it. Thanks for the concern though,' **

**With that, Shania pushed the door open and froze at the entrance. A pale boy was writhing on the bed. He was so thin, Shania could see his ribcage. He had an unpleasant look on his face, something between terror and pain.**

'**What happened to him?' she whispered.**

'**He got stung by a Griever.'**

'**And now, he's being treated?'**

'**There isn't a cure for being stung by a Griever. Right now, we're just trying to make the rest of his life better than being stuck in the freaking Maze.'**

**Shania looked at Newt to see if he was kidding but he looked serious. She walked across the room to the medicine cabinet to avoid looking at the sick boy. She saw several syringes with a blue liquid inside.**

'**What is this?' she asked Newt.**

'**We're not sure. We always get it with the weekly supplies.'**

'**It could be a cure for Griever stings.'**

'**Nope, not possible. These are people who put teenagers in a Maze. Do you honestly think they'll give us such an easy cure for Griever stings?'**

**Newt checked his watch and smiled.**

'**C'mon, it's time for bed.'**

**He got off the bed and practically dragged Shania to the door. Shania grabbed bandages and took one last look at the sick boy before walking out of the door with Newt.**

The video recording started to fast forward on its own again. Meanwhile, Thomas checked his watch. 10 pm. He'd been watching for an hour now. The video recording stopped fast forwarding and started playing.

**Shania was lying on the floor in a sleeping bag. All the other Gladers around her were fast asleep. But her eyes were wide awake. **

Thomas knew how she felt. He had a hard time processing his first day too.

**Suddenly, she heard a moan. It was soft but obviously full of pain. And since all the Gladers were asleep, it probably came from the sick kid, Joe. She got up and looked around her. Newt was curled up in a ball; drooling in his sleep **(did anyone get the PJO reference?). **Alby was lying on the floor and was using his sleeping bag as a blanket. Minho was lying face down on the sleeping bag while snoring loudly. **

'**I guess I'll have to see what he wants,' she muttered.**

**She made her way up the stairs and entered the Infirmary. Joe was wide awake. He had bloodshot eyes that made Shania shudder.**

'**Do you need something?' she asked gently.**

**Joe pointed to the medicine cabinet.**

'**The Serum,' he rasped.**

**Shania immediately understood what he was trying to say. She ran to the medicine cabinet and grabbed a syringe. Then, she ran to Joe's bedside and plunged the syringe into Joe's arm. Joe let out a shrill scream but she ignored him and focused on injecting all the serum into his bloodstream. She could hear people running up the stairs. They had obviously heard Joe's scream. She was just about to remove the syringe when the door was flung open and Alby stepped in, flanked by Newt and Minho. Behind them, the Gladers were tiptoeing to see what was happening. Alby took in the scene and whispered to Newt and Minho. His eyes were full of rage. Newt and Minho walked up to her and grabbed her by the arms. They started marching her out of the Homestead. Once they were outside the Homestead, Shania shook her arms free and stalked ahead defiantly. **

**Minho caught up with her and hissed, 'Newbie, what were you THINKING? This is your first day here and you're already a murderer.'**

'**That was pretty hardcore though. Murdering someone on the first day,' Newt said with a smirk. Shania could only stare at him incredulously. **

**Within a few minutes, they reached the Slammer and Minho unlocked the door of one of the jails. Shania got in and she heard the click of the lock behind her. Minho peeked in through one of the openings.**

'**Sweetheart, this is where you'll be staying until we decide on your punishment. Okay?' Minho said.**

**Shania folded her arms and glared at him.**

The video recording stopped and another one started playing but Thomas turned the computer off. He couldn't watch the second video recording without his brain exploding from his thoughts.

By now, the similarities between Shania and Teresa's situations were becoming clear. They were totally different people but their situations were the same. Teresa had been put in the Slammer on the first night that she was awake. If Shania was the Teresa among the original Gladers, then who was the Thomas of the original Gladers? And why did WICKED make their situations so similar?

But Thomas was worried about his best friend, Newt, the most. He seemed like a happy and carefree person in the video recording. What had happened to him? Why had he changed? Did Shania have anything to do with it? Thomas felt a sudden surge of hatred towards her.

**A/N: Thank you for all your reviews and advice! I hope you guys are enjoying my story. Please leave a review below if you like the story or want to give me writing advice, it means a lot to me. :D**


	4. Chapter 4

It was 12 am and Thomas was on this way to Minho's cabin. It was a weekend anyway and Thomas knew Minho wouldn't be asleep yet. Besides, he has some pretty important things to ask Minho. He reached Minho's cabin and flung the door open. Thomas expected to see Minho on the couch, eating potato chips while watching a movie on his TV. But there was no one in the living room. Thomas stepped inside and walked around. There was no one in the cabin. Just then, Thomas heard voices coming from down the street. Thomas ran out of the cabin and closed the door. Then, he knelt down behind the hedge that Minho absolutely refused to trim.

"Chaotic hedges are fun," Minho had said.

"Well, it'll help me today," Thomas thought.

The footsteps got louder and Thomas could hear someone whispering. There was someone with Minho. Thomas strained to hear them.

"... and I told him exactly what you told me to say,"

Thomas could have recognised that voice even if it had been from a mile away. It was the person he trusted with his life.

_Brenda._

Suddenly, Brenda and Minho stopped talking. Thomas heard the shuffling of feet. He peeked out from the side of the hedge and looked at Brenda and Minho. Brenda tiptoed until her face was directly in front of Minho's face. Then, she threw her arms around him and kissed him. Minho wrapped his arms around her waist and lifted her off the ground. After what seemed like an eternity to Thomas, they let go and Brenda laughed. It was the carefree sort of laugh that Thomas hadn't heard from her in ages. He fought back the urge to confront them. They would probably lie to him about what they had been discussing and apologise to him. No, he had to figure out what was happening secretly.

But that didn't mean that Brenda and Minho's betrayal didn't hurt him.

"Maybe they are being forced to do this. Just like Teresa and Aris were forced to betray me," he thought hopefully.

But that probably wasn't true. WICKED wasn't controlling them here. They had their own free will. Thomas waited till Minho and Brenda went into the cabin before quietly walking away. He had gone to Minho's cabin to ask for answers but he wasn't in the mood to talk to Minho or Brenda. Once he got back to his cabin, he went to his room and slipped the microchip into the computer. It was 12.30 am but he wasn't sleepy. Brenda and Minho's betrayal kept replaying in his mind. He had to distract himself.

**Day 32 (In the Maze)**

**Shania was inside the Slammer. She looked tired and had dark circle under her eyes. Every time someone walked past her cell, she'd look up hopefully, only to realise that she wasn't going to be released. Then, she would continue to stare at random spots inside the Slammer. **

Thomas could relate to her more and more. He thought about his own punishment in the Glade with a wistful smile. As Thomas watched, Newt knelt down near the Slammer and started to unlock the door.

"**C'mon, Greenie," Newt said, with a blank expression on his face.**

**Shania scrambled out of the Slammer and Newt grabbed her arm and led her towards the West door. A bunch of boys, including Alby and Minho, were standing near the West door. Alby didn't even bother hiding his disgust for her. **

"**Guys, do you really think I tried to **_**murder **_**Joe? I was just-"**

"**Enough," Alby said.**

"**But I was trying to help him!" Shania reasoned with Alby.**

"**I SAID ENOUGH. DO YOU HONESTLY THINK YOU'RE HELPING HIM? He's been thrashing around in his sleep and shouting for the last 2 days. You're just made his death ten times more painful!" Alby shouted.**

"**Newt, bring out the pole and the collar," Alby said in a much quieter voice.**

**Newt went to the shed, pulled out both items and brought them to Alby. Alby unbuttoned the collar and wrapped it around Shania's neck with a snap. **

"**Alby, please..." Shania said quietly.**

"Ben," Thomas thought.

Ben had been begging Alby too.

**Alby ignored Shania and pulled on the collar to ensure that it was firm. **

"**Keepers, get ready," Alby said. **

**All the Keepers picked up the pole and stood right outside the West door.**

"**Wait!"**

**Shania could see a frail boy limping towards them as quickly as he could. **

"**Joe?" Alby sounded incredulous.**

"**Let her go. She saved my life," Joe said, panting.**

**Alby and Shania both stared at Joe like he was a corpse that had come back to life. Newt moved towards Shania and removed the collar. **

"**Joe, what's happening? How the hell are you awake? How did you know that she was being banished from the Glade?" Alby bombarded Joe with questions. **

"**Alby, later. Joe needs to rest now," Newt said, calmly. **

**Alby shrugged and walked away. The other Gladers stared at Shania for a couple of moments before wandering off. Newt helped Shania to get up.**

"**Um, Newt? I need to talk to Shania..." Joe awkwardly muttered.**

"**Sure!" Newt replied, cheerfully.**

"**Privately," Joe finished.**

**Newt's face fell for a second before he smiled and walked away.**

"**Let's go to the Infirmary. We can talk along the way," Shania said.**

"**Okay."**

**Shania and Joe walked towards the Homestead.**

"**I got some memories back while I was in under the influence of the Serum."**

"**What?"**

**Shania stopped in her tracks. **

"**I saw a couple of images in my head from my past."**

"**Can you tell me what you saw?" Shania asked gently.**

"**I tried to tell Alby when he came to visit this morning. I nearly choked myself to death."**

"**Nearly?"**

"**Yeah, I stopped myself in time."**

"**Why are you telling me this, Joe? You barely know me."**

"**I figured I could trust you. You took such a big risk by injecting the serum and it paid off."**

**Shania smiled, opened the door to the Infirmary and stepped inside.**

"**Boo!" **

**Minho and Newt and Minho jumped in front of Shania. Shania yelped and staggered backwards. Newt and Minho high-fived each other. Shania shook her head in disgust and walked into the Infirmary.**

"**Hey, Greenie. Wait up! We have good news," Minho said, laughing.**

"**What is it, shank?"**

"**Look! Our little Greenie's all grown up now. Look at her using our good old Glader slang."**

**Newt, Minho and Joe laughed again. Shania walked towards the door.**

"**Okay, okay. You're officially our first Med-Jack." Minho said.**

"**Med-Jack?"**

"**The closest thing we'll ever have to a doctor and that's you!" Minho grinned.**

**Shania laughed.**

"**C'mon, Joe. The Med-Jack commands you to rest." Shania said jokingly. **

"**Yes, captain!" Joe gave her a salute and winced at the pain.**

**Shania patted Joe's shoulder comfortingly and took his arm. Then, she slowly led him to the bed and helped him to lie down.**

"**Yell for me if you need something. Okay?"**

**Joe nodded but his eyes were closed. He was already falling asleep. Shania, Newt and Minho walked out of the Infirmary.**

Thomas turned off the computer and grinned. Shania hadn't seen it but he had. Joe was blushing when she had patted him. It seemed like a joke that he was grinning about Shania's love life when his own one was a bloody mess. He felt like he couldn't trust anyone else in this world. The two people whom he felt like he could trust had betrayed him. Thomas checked his watch. 2.30 am. Thomas crawled into bed and tried to sleep.

**A/N: Sorry for the delay! I was really busy the last few days. Anyway, I hope you like this chapter. And please leave a review. I'd be really happy. Thanks and you guys are the best! :D**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Hey, guys! Before you read the story, I'd like to explain why I disappeared for such a long time. I was facing many family as well as personal problems. I was unable to write. However, I'm back now and I'm hoping that I'll be more active. This chapter may not be that well-written because I haven't written anything in a long, long time and I don't have time right now to edit it carefully so please bear with me. Feedback is much appreciated! :) **

**1 week later...**

Thomas walked past Brenda's house, hoping that she would be out so that he would not have to face her. He had been avoiding her for the past one week. How could he face her? If he looked at her, he would see her betrayal. His world would come crashing down again and he would be completely shattered. No, ignoring her was the best thing to do right now. At least until he calmed down completely.

Thomas had reached his house and was unlocking the door when he heard someone calling his name. As the voice came closer, his heart began racing and his eyes widened. It wasn't just someone.

_It was her._

He took a deep breath, tried to muster as much courage as possible and turned around.

'Hey!' he said cheerfully with a fake smile plastered on his face.

Brenda's eyes were tight and her brows were furrowed. There were dark circles under her eyes and her normally neatly tied hair was in a messy bun. She walked towards him and held his hand tightly.

'Is everything okay?' she asked.

'Yes.'

'Are you sure? You're avoiding me, aren't you?'

'Look, I've had a really tough week and I'd like to rest. Maybe we can talk later.' Thomas replied curtly. With that, he turned away and started walking into his house.

Brenda grabbed his arm. She held his arm like she needed it to stay anchored to the ground. Like it gave her strength and hope. Her grip wasn't tight but it made pain shoot through his body. Thomas closed his eyes and took in a ragged breath.

'I love you, Thomas.'

That did it. That was the final straw in the haystack. Thomas spun around and glared at her with cold eyes. His face was red with anger.

'Don't you dare say that unless you actually mean it.'

Brenda looked taken aback.

'Thomas, I-'

'No! Nothing you say can change what you've done. How can you even look me in the eye after kissing my best friend? After lying to me? I'm calling off our engagement right now! I can't believe you and Minho did this to me.'

Brenda's face became ashen. Then, her eyes began to well up with tears. At that moment, she looked so small and lost that Thomas felt a shred of pity for her. His pity, however, didn't last long.

'Thomas! Wait, I can explain!'

He pulled his arm out of her hands and shut the door before she could see his tears. Before she could see how much he needed her.

Thomas took in a deep breath. He then walked towards his computer and started playing the next clip. He needed distraction. In fact, he seemed to need a lot of it lately.

**Day 40 (In the Maze)**

**It was dinnertime. Shania, Newt and Minho were sitting in the kitchen and eating Frypan's famous chicken casserole along with all the other Gladers. **

'**...and that's how the Glade got its name!' Newt finished his story with a flourish as he took a huge bite out of his casserole.**

'**You know what? I think that's the most creative name you guys have come up with so far.'**

'**Excuse me? Are you trying to say that the names we give to the different parts of the Glade aren't creative?' Minho glared at Shania and twirled his fork menacingly.**

"**I mean, think about it. I can already imagine how you guys came up with the different names. Oh! There's a box-like thing in the corner that delivers things? I've got a great name for it! Let's call it , drum roll please, '**_**The Box' **_**!"**

**All the guys in the kitchen began laughing. Minho turned red with embarrassment. **

'**Well guys, I'm sure Miss Good Vocabulary McCreativity over here can do a much better job than illiterate peasants like us. Please honour us by naming our living quarters, Your Majesty,' Minho said mockingly.**

'**Hmm...I think Homestead would be a good name for your humble living quarters, my dear subject.'**

'**Hey, that's a really good name!' Newt said.**

**All the other Gladers began to shout their approval. **

'**Aww, guess what Minho? The Gladers like me more than you.' Shania said with a smug smile.**

'**GLADERS, DO NOT FRATERNISE WITH THE ENEMY. I REPEAT, **_**DO NOT FRATERNISE WITH THE ENEMY**_**.' Minho shouted.**

Thomas didn't even know when he'd begun to laugh along with the Gladers. In fact, it had felt like the most natural thing in the world. If Shania was so close to the Gladers then why didn't they ever mention her? Who was she? What happened her? The more Thomas looked at the clips, the more questions he had about her. Yet, he could not shake off the feeling that he knew her better than any of the Gladers in the clips.


End file.
